


...and they were quarantined!

by marianhawke



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coronavirus, F/M, still kind of a WIP feedback welcome, this is how I deal with a pandemic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:46:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23401705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marianhawke/pseuds/marianhawke
Summary: This all started from a tumblr meme. Hawke is sick, Fenris has to deal. Next thing they know, he's taking care of Isabela and Merrill too. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Fenris/Female Hawke, Isabela/Merrill (Dragon Age)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

“Hawke. You have a fever.”

“It’s a fever, Fenris, I’m not dying of the plague.”

“You absolutely cannot go to the store.”

“I have surgical masks!” Hawke argued. “And I’ll stay six feet away from anyone else!”

“No. Not even over my dead body,” Fenris said, grabbing the thermometer out of the bathroom cabinet. Hawke sat on the edge of the bathtub behind him, waiting impatiently for her temperature to be taken (again- for the third time that day. Fenris was nothing if not a dutiful nurse). 

Fenris put the thermometer under her tongue and waited for the beep, looking at the results with a low grunt. “It looks like your fever is going down, but you’re absolutely not going anywhere until this goes away.”

Hawke had known going to the bar was a bad idea, especially with the pandemic everywhere, but Varric had insisted on one last night together before the Hanged Man closed. “Just the usual crew!” he had said. “It’ll be perfectly safe! We’ll have a quarantine party.”

Well, now Hawke and Merrill had both come down with fevers and a cough. Fenris, who hadn’t gone out of his dedication to social distancing, had harrumphed as usual and told Hawke it was a bad idea. “Kirkwall is one of the cities with the highest infection rates, Hawke,” he had said. And he had been right. Poor overworked Anders hadn’t gone either- his clinic was stuffed to the brim with patients who had coughed once and wanted to be tested out of an overabundance of caution. 

Hawke sighed. “We don’t really need anything anyway, I just wanted to leave the house.” She got up from the edge of the bathtub and hugged Fenris from behind, putting her chin on his shoulder. “Isabela said Merrill is getting better, too. Maybe we can have them over? Just those two? It’s not like I can get Merrill any sicker.”

“Not a chance,” Fenris said without missing a beat, shrugging his way out of the hug. He washed the thermometer and put it back in the cabinet. “And tell Isabela to stop dropping off toilet paper. I don’t know where she keeps getting it from, but we have plenty.”

Hawke coughed into her elbow. She tried to cough delicately, like tuberculosis patients in Victorian books, but what came out sounded like the hacking noise an aging smoker would make. Fenris looked at her with worry in his eyes. “You’re going back to bed,” he said- a command, not a request. Hawke saluted him. 

“Sir yes sir,” she said, coughing again. She walked into the bedroom and put a hand on her head dramatically. 

“Oh dear sir, I fear I have contracted the plague! I will not be long for this world,” she said, playing up her Fereldan accent. She was trying to go for the ‘damsel in distress’ angle but sounded more like her old backcountry neighbors.

“Is this your idea of roleplay?” Fenris asked, a rare smile quirking at his mouth. 

“Why, do you like it? I can play up the coughing if that’s what you’re into.”

“I would really be into you laying down and napping, Hawke.”

Just then a knock sounded at the door.

“If that’s Isabela with more toilet paper, I’m banning her from ever coming back,” Fenris said. Hawke dutifully laid down and tried to get some rest while Fenris walked into the living room to answer the door. 

Fenris reached the door when a voice sounded out. 

“It’s just me!” Varric yelled from the other side. “Just coming to check on you! You don’t even have to open the door, Broody.”

“What do you want?” Fenris yelled back. 

“Just bringing some food and gossip! Rivaini said Merrill is getting better, but apparently Isabela’s coming down with a fever too. They told me to ask if it’s okay if they stay with you for a while.”

“Yes, it is!” Hawke yelled from the bedroom at the same time Fenris said “No, it is not okay.” Varric audibly paused outside the door. 

“Just text them when you’ve decided,” Varric yelled. “I’m dropping off some soup for Hawke, too. If you get better soon, I might even let you read the novel I’m working on.” Fenris waited for Varric to leave before opening the door and picking up the Tupperware of chicken noodle soup left on the doorstep. 

Hawke was already behind him as he turned around. For someone as clumsy as she was, the woman could be incredibly quiet when she wanted to be. 

“We have to let them stay,” she said. “I don’t want them alone while they’re both sick.”

“Where would they stay?” Fenris asked. “We don’t have a guest bedroom, Hawke. This apartment is too small.” 

Hawke winced at the reminder. All the family money left over when her mother had passed was going towards her brother Carver’s college at the moment, and neither of them brought in much income from their odd jobs. 

“They can sleep on the couches or something,” Hawke said. “We’ll figure it out. I can’t leave them alone when they’re both sick, Fenris.” Fenris considered this for a second, still holding the container of soup. Hawke took it from him and walked into the kitchen to put the Tupperware in the fridge. It was full of takeout leftovers and Jell-O shots (leftovers from the quarantine party) but Hawke made room. 

“Fine,” Fenris yelled from the living room. “But only if you take a nap. And tell them to bring their own food.”

Hawke walked back into the living room to blow him an air kiss. 

“You’re the best!” she said, plopping herself down on the couch. “I’ll text Isabela and let her know. Now put on a sitcom and let’s nap.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabela and Merrill come over. Everyone is sick and Fenris has a lot of fun.

Isabela had, predictably, packed what seemed like her entire wardrobe into a duffel bag. Maker’s breath, Hawke thought, how many crop tops can one person possibly wear? Isabela was also currently rifling through their pantry while Fenris carried their bags upstairs from her car, the Siren’s Call. So named because of the noises it made when you got it past 60 miles per hour- which Isabela did frequently, and with much glee. 

Merrill came in the door behind Fenris, protesting that she could help with the bags while coughing. Fenris just glowered, but Hawke could tell it was softer than his usual glower. He wasn’t a fan of the blood mage, it was true, but Merrill was nothing if not polite even while she was sick. Hawke, of course, lounged on the couch and watched him drop the bags onto their living room floor with a loud thump. Their mabari, Barkspawn, looked up at Merrill and Isabela curiously before returning to his nap. 

“Don’t bother to get up and help,” Fenris said. 

“Sarcasm, Fenris? I really am rubbing off on you,” Hawke said, flicking through Netflix shows. “Besides, I’m an invalid.”

“Hawke, how are you feeling?” Merrill asked with concern in her voice as she sat next to her on the couch. 

“Never better, thanks for asking,” Hawke said. “How about you, are you doing okay? I heard your fever was getting better-“

Isabela barged in, holding a can from their pantry. “Creamed corn, Hawke? Really? You know this went bad about a year ago.” Hawke shrugged. 

“I have all the cooking skills of my mother and none of her charm,” Hawke said. “We’re a takeout household, Isabela, you know that.” 

Isabela disappeared back into the kitchen. Hawke, Fenris, and Merrill all sat in an uncomfortable silence. 

“Merrill, would you, ah, like a beverage?” Hawke asked. “I’ve never really hosted before, I’m not sure what the proper protocol is.”

“I’d love some water if it’s not too much trouble,” Merrill said. “You should probably drink some too, Hawke, it helps with fevers.”

“You sound like Fenris,” Hawke said. “Fenris, would you be a dear and get us some water?”

He shot her a glare but got up and walked into the kitchen anyway. Hawke continued flicking through the options on Netflix, settling on a random sitcom, when Isabela breezed in and sat down next to Merrill, flinging an arm over the elf’s shoulders. 

“Why were you looking through our kitchen anyway?” Hawke asked.

“Just curious,” Isabela said. “You can tell a lot about a person from their pantry, you know.”

“Really?” Merrill asked curiously. “Like what?”

“Like that Hawke spends more money on food for her mabari than herself.”

At hearing himself mentioned, the mabari perked his ears up before settling back down again. 

“Only the best for the best,” Hawke said. Fenris walked back into the living room, carrying two glasses of water. “Isn’t that right, darling?”

“You two are just so adorable,” Isabela said. “I can see why Varric is writing about you two in his next story.”

Fenris gave Isabela a piercing glare- one of his finest, really. “The dwarf is doing what, exactly?”

“He let you read it?” protested Hawke. “He hasn’t let me touch it, yet.”

“Oh no,” Isabela said with a wicked smile, “I got ahold of his computer and emailed myself a copy. It’s quite… salacious, if you catch my meaning. I was hoping to get a live viewing while we’re here.” At this, she waggled her eyebrows in Fenris’ direction. 

“Maker, I’m going to kill that dwarf,” Hawke said with a sigh. Before she could continue, she was cut off by a fit of hacking coughs. Fenris frowned. 

“That’s it, you’re going back to bed,” he said. “Drink some water, too.” 

As if on cue, Merrill started coughing too. Hawke groaned. “It’s like a hospital in here,” she said. “Fine, fine. You guys can watch whatever you want, just no porn. I’m gonna take a nap. Remind me to kill Varric when I wake up.” With that, she walked into the bedroom, followed by the mabari who seemed eager to jump in the bed with her. 

As she drifted off, she could hear Merrill in the living room valiantly trying to make conversation with Fenris, who was less than interested. 

Then all of a sudden she woke with a jolt. A hand was on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw Anders standing over her wearing a mask, checking her temperature with the back of his hand. Anders and Merrill? Maker, I bet Fenris is having a great time right now, she thought. 

Before she could say something, Anders cut her off. “Save the witty remark, Hawke. I’m only here on my break, so I have to be quick. How are you feeling?”

“Fantastic,” she said. “Best shape of my life.” Followed by another coughing fit. Anders removed his hand and looked at her intently. 

“You need rest and lots of water,” he said. “Same goes for the two in your living room. I told Fenris already, but you three need to watch your temperatures. If it gets too high, or if you feel short of breath, come down to my clinic.” He went into their bathroom and washed his hands thoroughly. Hawke could see the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than usual. He must be pulling all-nighters, she thought, feeling slightly guilty for making so many jokes about the virus. 

“Anders, do you need some food? You said you were on break, right?”

“Some food would be great,” he admitted, drying his hands. “I haven’t had time to eat anything all day.”

“Varric dropped off a container of chicken noodle soup earlier, you can have it if you want,” Hawke said. Fenris walked into the bedroom and nodded at Anders. Quite the gesture of civility, Hawke thought. 

“Hawke, how are you feeling?” Fenris asked as Anders left to presumably finish off her chicken noodle soup. Ah, well. 

“Not great,” Hawke admitted, coughing again. This was answered with a matching cough coming from the living room. So either Merrill or Isabela was awake, too. Fenris frowned and grabbed her hand. 

“I’m surprised you haven’t gotten sick yet,” she said. 

“I have rarely ever been sick,” he said. “Besides, someone needs to take care of you three.”

“Thank you for helping,” Hawke said in a low voice. “I know taking care of Isabela and Merrill can’t be your favorite thing.” 

Fenris smiled. “No, but I would do it again for you, Hawke.” He lightly kissed her on the forehead and went back into the living room. Hawke smiled and burrowed in under the covers even more, leaning up against Barkspawn, who didn’t seem to mind. She drifted off again to the sound of coughing coming from the next room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke gets a haircut.

“It’s going to look so good, Hawke, I swear it.”  
“Just be quick Isabela, before Fenris gets back. I want to surprise him.”  
“You can’t rush perfection, sweet thing.”  
Isabela hovered over Hawke’s head with the scissors, snipping at strands here and there. Hawke’s hair was long, well past her shoulders. Well, until now. They had gotten restless and Isabela had promised that she’d done this before.  
“Do me next!” Merrill said, sitting on the side of the bathtub. Hawke sat on a stool in front of the mirror while Isabela stood over her.  
“Not a chance, love, I don’t want to mess yours up.”  
“What, but you’ll mess mine up?” Hawke protested, watching as Isabela cut a chunk off the back of her hair.  
“Don’t look a free haircut in the mouth,” Isabela said.  
“Where did you learn to cut hair?” Hawke asked.  
“Someone once made a bet with me and lost, and the deal was that I got to cut her hair short,” Isabela said. “I haven’t heard from her since then.”  
Hawke groaned. “I knew this was a mistake,” she said.  
“What was a mistake?” Fenris asked, coming in the bathroom holding a shopping bag of frozen food. He stopped suddenly when he saw Hawke. Hawke grinned at him and put her hands up.  
“Surprise?” she said.  
“Hawke, why is half of your hair short?” he asked.  
“Because Isabela hasn’t done the other half yet.”  
“Hawke.” Fenris closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “You three are sick and supposed to be resting, and yet I come home to this.”  
“I’m feeling much better,” Hawke said. “Merrill is too.”  
“Okay, don’t look in the mirror yet,” Isabela said, moving to block Hawke’s view of herself. “I’m doing the finishing touches.”  
Fenris sighed and went back into the living room, trailed by Barkspawn, who had taken a real liking to the elf. Isabela continued snipping away, until she started turning Hawke’s head this way and that, examining her hair from all angles.  
“There, I think it’s done,” Isabela said. “It looks really good.”  
“You look gorgeous with short hair!” Merrill said before coughing. “Of course, not that you didn’t look good with long hair.”  
Isabela stepped out of the way of the mirror. Hawke looked at herself and she had to admit, she looked pretty damn good. Isabela had cut her a dramatic pixie cut with a slight fringe and it worked really well.  
“Isabela, if I wasn’t taken I’d kiss you,” Hawke said. “If all else fails, you could be a hairstylist.”  
“Fenris!” Isabela called. “Come see my masterpiece!”  
Fenris stopped short in the doorway, smiling at Hawke, who sheepishly grinned back.  
“I like it,” he said.  
“It’s not the worst impulse decision I ever made,” Hawke said, fluffing it with her hands.  
“Now back to bed, all of you,” Fenris said. “You don’t want me to call Anders.”  
“Fine, Dad,” Isabela said mockingly. Her and Merrill left the bathroom. Hawke stared at the multitude of hair clippings left on the floor.  
“I promise I’ll clean that up,” was all she managed to say before Fenris kissed her softly.  
“Now you’re going to get sick,” Hawke said, putting her arms around his neck.  
“I’m living with three sick people. I think it was a little late for me anyway,” he said drily. “No more hair cutting, please. You need to find some other source of entertainment while you’re quarantined.”  
“Oh, I’m sure I can think of something.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke gets to go to the grocery store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever asdkdfhfjkfj! Work has been kicking my butt lately. Hope y'all enjoy!

Hawke looped the mask around her ears then cursed when it popped off.

“Do they purposefully make these things hard to put on?” she asked. Fenris sighed.

“Hawke, it is not that difficult,” he said. “Besides, we need them to go into the store.”

Hawke rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. Especially since I was sick recently. I get the _idea_ , I just like to complain. You know that.”

“Oh, I know that very well,” Fenris said dryly. He turned the car off and they both got out. Hawke couldn’t deny it, she was excited. This was her first outing in weeks, and she had to practically beg Fenris to let her go out of the house. Now that Isabela and Merrill were better and had gone back to their own place, Fenris and Hawke were stuck entertaining themselves at home alone since nobody else wanted to be around Hawke just yet. _Hah,_ Hawke thought, _entertaining ourselves. We all know what that means._ Realistically, though, since Hawke was still recovering, it meant watching a lot of sitcoms or trying to play board games together until Fenris started cursing at the game in Tevene. _What a sore loser._

“It’s a miracle you didn’t get sick,” Hawke said to Fenris, musing. Fenris shrugged as they walked up to grab a cart.

“I rarely get sick,” he said. “Perhaps it has something to do with the lyrium.”

“I feel like I should cough on you a few more times to be sure,” Hawke said.

“You’ve been cleared by your doctor, you can’t transmit the virus,” Fenris reminded her.

“You wouldn’t know it by the way everyone’s avoiding me,” Hawke said. “We’re allowed to start seeing people again. I feel like I need a sign around my neck to tell everyone that I’m not a disease vector anymore.”

“I will get right on that,” Fenris said with a smile. He grabbed a shopping cart from the stall, and then they waited in line to get into the store. For all its many, many flaws, Kirkwall had been scrupulous about enforcing social distancing guidelines, even as they were starting to reopen.

“Hawke? Fenris? Is that you?” a voice called out from the parking lot. It was Merrill, and she was waving furiously at them.

“Do you know any other elves with lyrium markings?” Hawke asked as she walked up to them.

“No! Why, should I?” Merrill asked. Hawke smiled.

“No, don’t worry about it,” she said. “Did Isabela send you to the store?”

“No, she wanted to come but I told her not to,” Merrill said. “We’re only supposed to bring one person per household, after all.”

Hawke and Fenris looked at each other, Hawke grimacing. “Whoops,” Hawke said. Merrill raised her eyebrows in a shocked gesture.

“No, no!” she chirped, waving her hands as if to erase what she said. “I didn’t mean that about you two! I’m sure it’s fine for you two to be here together.”

Hawke and Merrill’s phones both dinged. Hawke pulled hers out of her pocket and opened the text.

“Oh, it’s Varric,” she said. “He got the approval to re-open the Hanged Man this week as long as he keeps up with the new guidelines.”

“Well that’s good news!” Merrill said. “Fenris, are you not in the group text?”

“I have the notifications turned off,” he said. 

“Don’t listen to the curmudgeon,” Hawke told Merrill. “He reads every text.” Merrill giggled as Fenris glowered at Hawke.

“Oh, but we have to have a get-together at the Hanged Man now!” Merrill said, nearly jumping up and down. The people in front of them were finally let into the store and they moved up in line. “Oh, wait, I need a cart!” Merrill exclaimed. “I should get to the back of the line, I think. Goodbye!” She grabbed a cart, wiped it down with a wet wipe she pulled from somewhere in her purse, and wheeled it to the back of the line.

“That was smart, the wet wipe,” Hawke said. “We should start bringing those around too.”

“There are not enough wet wipes in the world to disinfect the Hanged Man,” Fenris said. Hawke laughed.

“Have I ever told you I appreciate your sense of humor?” Hawke said, looping her arm in his.

“Frequently,” Fenris said with a smile.

“Well, I should say it more often,” Hawke said, smiling up at him. Usually she cursed her shortness, but in moments like this, she didn’t mind it. “What did we need again?”

“I thought you had the list,” Fenris said, frowning.

“Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?” Hawke asked.

“Hawke, did you forget the list?”

“That is a possibility, yes.”

Fenris shook his head with a smile. “Well, you’re making dinner tonight then.”

“Looks like it’s a classic Fereldan stew, then,” Hawke said. “Because that’s literally all I can make.”

“I like your stews,” Fenris said, smiling.

“And now you’ll get to see what I put in them,” Hawke said, grinning back at him. “I’m still surprised that you eat what I cook.”

“I can finally see what that mystery meat really is,” Fenris said dryly. The masked store clerk at the front of the line looked over at them and motioned for them to go inside as someone else left the store. They walked inside, Fenris pushing the cart and Hawke right beside him.

“You know, I’m really glad we were quarantined together,” Hawke said. “Lesser couples would be at each other’s throats by now.”

“There is still time,” Fenris said, smiling at her. He continued smiling and shook his head as she made a beeline for the liquor section. _Some things never change_ , he thought.


End file.
